Chapter 40e: Jasmine

I was very happy and relieved when I found out that Jazzy decided which man she wanted to be with, but maybe it was a misguided happiness. I have to keep reminding myself that she is insane, and insanity isn’t like an illness that you will get over in a few days. It’s a plague that lasts forever! But I feel teased at times when she’s normal. I feel like there may be a chance that I could get my little girl back. Like, she decided to bake me a cake for my birthday!

It was the most unusual cake, but I appreciated it soo much! We celebrated and had a nice before I went to work that afternoon.

As I was coming up the drive on my return home that evening, I witnessed this. Jazzy and her boyfriend, Joshua Lopes, were enjoying each other’s company on the porch when one of her other “friends” came for a visit.

“What the plumbob are you doing here with HIM,” he yelled.

“What’s it to you,” she asked.

“What’s it to ME? I thought we had something!”

“I–”

“Baby,” Joshua interrupted,”you don’t need to explain yourself to this man. Now what were you trying to say to me?”

“I was just going to say that I love you…”

“…and I like him and your other roommate too. But I love you.”

I saw lots of yelling and arms flailing in the air, and eventually I saw two very sad men leaving.

I thought that was the end of Jazzy’s escapades, but MAN was I wrong! The next day, I went into to Jared’s room to see him and…

I wished someone would gouge my eyes out!!  I KNOW she’s an adult! I KNOW she thinks she’s in love! I KNOW that one day some man will whisk my daughter away! But I NEVER wanted to SEE this!!! NEVER! I can’t unsee it. Oh, my child! I hope she knows what she’s doing?

The next morning, I came downstairs to start my 15th book, and there they were again! Jazzy was in one of her flirty moods because of the voices in her head, and she looked like she was ready to have poor Joshua for breakfast.

“Oh…umm, hi, Joshua. Jazzy, can I–”

“Jasmine…”

“Jasmine, may I see you for a sec?”

“Jazzy, what the heck is going on here? Don’t you think you need to slow it down with this man?”

“Jasmine, Daddy! I’m Jasmine now!”

“Ok, ok! Jasmine…it’s like 8 a.m. Don’t you think it’s too early for visitors?”

“He’s not a visitor. He lives here now.”

“WHAT?! What do you mean he lives here??”

“I told him he could move in!”

“Who gave you permission to do that?! You can’t do things like that without talking to us first!”

“It’s fine, Daddy. The voices told me I could!”

“The voices?! Jasmine, you’ve got to stop with these voices! They’re going to get you into trouble. They’re not real!!”

“[gasp] Daddy!! Don’t say that! He didn’t mean it! He didn’t mean it! He didn’t mean it!”

She was hysterical. I don’t know who she was talking to, but she seemed to be very afraid. [sigh] When in Rome, I guess….

“Ok, ok, ok, Jasmine…tell the voices I didn’t mean it and I will never say those kinds of things ever again.”

“Do you mean it? They really didn’t like it.”

“I mean it. I promise.”

Just then, lover boy decided to join us for breakfast.

“Good morning, Mr. Pruett…Jared!”

“I’m sorry, Joshua, but this is not the right time for you to be trying to get on my nice side! What kind of a man shacks up with a woman in her PARENTS house? Do you even have a job?”

“Jared, why don’t you take your breakfast in the kitchen. This is not a conversation for children.”

I cannot BELIEVE those two! Young, dumb, and jobless. Both of them! I know it’s probably not his fault. Jazzy can be very persuasive, and these voices she listens to don’t help the situation at all. I tried to talk some sense into them, but they probably weren’t even listening. I asked if they had any plans for marriage, and they said no. I asked if they had any interviews lined up for jobs, and they said no. I didn’t really want to, but I asked if they used protection when they woo hoo. They said no!  OMG!!! What kind of idiots are these? I told them that if they keep woo hooing it’s not a matter of if they’ll get pregnant, but when!

That week was especially busy, and I can’t really say why. It just was. I didn’t see Jazzy for a few days. But when I did see her…

“Hi Daddy! I haven’t seen you in days!”

She lunged herself at me and gave me a big hug. I threw my arms around her and tried to enjoy this distantly familiar moment, but it felt like there was more of her than I remembered. I withdrew from her embrace and looked at her. I wished I hadn’t done that.

“Jaz, ummm, Jasmine…are you…pregnant?”

“Yeah, a little bit.”

“OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD!! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO YOURSELF?!”

“Calm down, Daddy. The voices said I needed this.”

“The voices?? The VOICES?! Jazzy, you are not fit to be a parent!!! You don’t have a job, your boyfriend doesn’t have a job, you don’t plan to get married, and you listen to VOICES in your head!! Tell me how you NEED this!!”

“I don’t believe this! I just don’t! I can’t! DEE…baby, PLEASE talk some sense into her! I’m too old for this! I can’t do it! I can’t!”

I know…I should have been happy for her. Most parents look forward to being grandparents, and trust me when I say I would like to be one! No Pruett man has EVER met his grandkids, and I would love to be the first. But, I suppose since I’m still raising a one child, and I feel like I’m still raising the other three, I think a grandchild would feel more like a burden than a blessing right now. I need help!